Will Pipes Freeze in Johnson County, NE? 69 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Johnson County
In a normal year Johnson County, NE gets 69 nights at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 76% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in January.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 144 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 69 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 30 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 11 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 69 nights of risk to 30 nights. A 12 ft heat-tape kit runs $17 to $37; an average burst-pipe repair is about $500.
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 10/10, last around 04/26. For 20°F: 11/06 to 03/27.
How cold Johnson County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 16°F; the coldest month, January, averages 13°F overnight. 8 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, November, December: 30 nights a year, and 11 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13°F | 17°F | 28°F | 38°F | 50°F | 61°F | 65°F | 63°F | 53°F | 40°F | 28°F | 18°F |
Johnson County next to its neighbours
Otoe County, NE, 29 km northeast, gets 72 nights below 20°F to Johnson County's 69 nights. Pawnee County, NE, 29 km south, gets 62 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, NE | - | 144 nights | 69 nights | 13°F |
| Pawnee County, NE | 29 km south | 137 nights | 62 nights | 15°F |
| Otoe County, NE | 29 km northeast | 146 nights | 72 nights | 13°F |
| Nemaha County, NE | 35 km east | 137 nights | 62 nights | 14°F |
| Gage County, NE | 39 km southwest | 144 nights | 69 nights | 14°F |
| Richardson County, NE | 55 km southeast | 133 nights | 59 nights | 16°F |
| Lancaster County, NE | 56 km northwest | 144 nights | 70 nights | 14°F |
Johnson County within NE
Johnson County ranks 71 of 93 NE counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Sioux County, NE at 114 nights, with a 11°F average winter low. The fewest is Fillmore County, NE: 55 nights, winter lows near 19°F. At 1,129 ft, Johnson County sits 881 ft below the state's median county elevation of 2,010 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Tecumseh (1 mi S), NE, 8 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.